Grand National betting: 2026 Aintree Hurdle contenders and tip

Ahead of the 2026 Grand National, Coral previews all of the races taking place at Aintree, continuing with the Aintree Hurdle on Thursday, April 9.

2026 Aintree Hurdle contenders and tip

Bringing together many of the runners from the Champion Hurdle, this looks a really exciting race.

Dan Skelton’s The New Lion tops the ratings, despite being soundly beaten in the Champion Hurdle by Lossiemouth. He is likely to be better over this long trip, though, and will be happy on the spring ground too. He could be a value price if proving this true on Thursday. 

Gordon Elliott’s mare, Brighterdaysahead, has the mares’ weight allowance and was second to Lossiemouth at Cheltenham, beating The New Lion by half a length. Conversely to him, though, her form does not promise improvement for the longer trip. Her pedigree, though, might do, as a relative to some smart black-type horses over this and trip and further.